RE: [IC][Story][Arc 1] (title to be announced later)
07-15-2018, 08:19 PM (This post was last modified: 11-23-2018, 01:43 PM by robkelk.)
07-15-2018, 08:19 PM (This post was last modified: 11-23-2018, 01:43 PM by robkelk.)
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
November 5, 2016
1:41 pm
Kate thought for a moment. "From the description that Makoto provided, I think you were attacked by sluagh."
"And sluagh would be...?" asked Kuroko.
"The restless dead. Fae who were killed by the Host but didn't completely die. Please don't ask me how they do this."
"That's terrible," Usagi whispered.
"It's a terrible thing to have happen to you, definitely." Nobody said anything for a moment. Finally, Kate continued, "I'm surprised you could destroy them so quickly, Miss Moon."
Makoto nodded. "She's always been more powerful than the rest of us, but either I've gotten very weak or she's gotten very strong."
"You haven't gotten weak, Makoto. We fight every day; I know exactly know how strong you are."
"Thanks, M- Railgun. How did Moon destroy six of them at once?"
"Their power and luck comes from the Moon," Kate replied. "It's possible that they were overloaded so much that they just exploded."
Kuroko nodded. "That sounds reasonable. How do we defend against them?"
"If I knew that, I would have defended the tower against them earlier this year. By my time. If you don't let them enter, they can't come in, but they're very good at getting you to let them in."
Kazari walked in at that point. "We have a specialist coming up from Montreal," she replied. "She might be able to help. She knows a different kind of magic from what I've heard you describe."
2:08 pm
"She what?"
"That's what Mii told me. And Rob-oji kissed her!"
"While she had her-?"
"No, after that. Are you okay?"
"I... don't know." After a moment, she asked, "Do you know where Donaldson-san is right now?"
Ruiko noticed that Ami didn't call him 'Rob'. "I think he's gone to buy that computer gear he said he was going to buy today. He should be back before Rin-san arrives."
"Thank you. Do you know whether Konori-san is busy?"
"Mii-san said she'd appreciate some more company. Why don't you bring her a snack?" Ruiko reached into the fridge and pulled out a box of milk.
"Oh, I couldn't ..." Ami stopped when she realized Ruiko was glaring at her. Being glared at by an underclassman wasn't a pleasant experience. "All right."
"Good!" Ruiko smiled. "I'm sure the two of you will have a nice, long talk."
2:16 pm
"... and he was always ... so kind to me and I thought ... I thought maybe he thought of ... me as more than just a ... a child and ... and I was trying to ... get up the courage to ... to talk with him alone ... and you said what I wanted to say but you said it first!" Ami's tears overcame her completely.
Mii gave her a moment to cry. Then she reached for the box of tissues beside the sofa. "Please don't cry, Ami. Neither of us have said we love each other."
She looked up. "You ... you haven't?"
"Maybe we're stupid that way. Or maybe I just overwhelmed him with what I did tell him and he wasn't ready to say it to me. But I know I'm not ready to face rejection that way again. I guess I'm as afraid as you are, Ami."
"You're afraid? Of this?"
"I was rejected once before."
"Oh."
They sat in near-silence for a moment, Ami drying her eyes and Mii waiting patiently.
"I'm willing to share."
"What!?"
Mii smiled. "It was Washuu-chan's idea."
"Oh. I've heard stories about that household."
"That doesn't make it a bad idea, Ami. I've noticed how much he dotes on you. He might be interested in a threesome."
Ami couldn't reply - she was too busy gasping for air as her face went beet-red.
"Did I say too much?"
2:32 pm
"Most of the Host are only active at night," Kate said. "We should be all right as long as the sun is up."
"The nights are getting longer as we get closer to the solstice," Kuroko pointed out.
"Which is why you have to be extremely careful. Some missing-person reports are because the person that went missing was kidnapped by the Host."
"What happens to mortals who are kidnapped by the Host?"
"If they're lucky," Kate replied, "they go straight into the stewpot."
Kuroko's voice trembled. "And if they're unlucky?"
"They're played with first."
Usagi's eyes were like ice. "We must do something about this."
"I'm open to any ideas you might have."
2:39 pm
"I'm sorry, Ami. I shouldn't have dropped that idea on you so quickly."
"You're right! You shouldn't have! I'm still an innocent maiden!"
"Innocent? How many youma have you killed?"
"That isn't what I meant."
Mii smiled. "I know. We're still young, and they do things differently here than they do in Japan. There are laws about what they call 'sexual interference' - you could knock Rob out and have your way with him, and he'd be arrested because he's your foster father and you haven't reached your eighteenth birthday yet."
"That doesn't make sense."
"Oh, you'd be arrested, too."
"That makes more sense."
"Maybe I should have phrased it this way: I'm willing to share my life with just Rob, or with both of you. The three of us need to decide what our future is going to be."
"I'm not bisexual."
"You're sure? Most people are at least bi-curious."
"Well... maybe. But I don't have those feelings around females, and I do have them around males."
"I don't know whether I like women that way either. But I'm willing to find out."
"Washuu-chan said you need to rest!"
Mii smiled. "Not now, Ami. Later. After we've had a chance to talk with Rob."
Ami sighed in relief. "Oh. Okay. No, not okay!" She started to panic again.
"Ami, not all lesbians are like Kuroko."
That calmed her down. "Oh. Good."
"And if you aren't comfortable with the idea, then we won't explore it at all."
"Thank you, Mii."
2:50 pm
"You can see giants coming, if you can see into the faerie realm at all. They're easy to spot, since they're giants. They're also difficult to defeat, because they're giants."
"Unfortunately, Kate, I cannot see into the faerie realm, and neither can Railgun or Mr. Donaldson."
"We might have a way around that, Kuroko. Finn can add some stitching to your clothes to give you the ability to see into the faerie realm."
"That might not be a good idea. Has anyone explained the concept of Personal Reality to you yet?"
2:54 pm
"Did you ever ... you know?"
Mii shook her head. "There are only two men I've ever been interested in that way. The first was Kurozuma Wataru - he's the one who rejected me. We're still friends, but not that way."
"And the second?"
"The second is Rob-san. And I only told him that today."
2:59 pm
"Your 'personal reality' sounds to me like a trance state that you go into to work magic."
"There are some important differences between a trance and a Personal Reality, Kate. A trance would only let you do things that mundane science books say are possible. My Personal Reality is exactly that - my reality. I can teleport because my reality allows for teleportation. Onee-san is an electromaster because her reality allows her to create and use electricity at will. The other espers's realities here aren't nearly as fully formed as our two realities, so they aren't as powerful as we are."
"I'm sorry. Who is 'oneesan'?"
"Mi- Railgun. The important thing is that our realities don't have room for what you call magic. We can be affected by it because consensual reality is still a big part of our personal realities, but we can't use it ourselves. And espers are always in our personal realities."
"So every esper is a solipsist?"
"That is a crude but accurate description, yes."
3:07 pm
"I'm home!"
"Welcome back!" Ruiko rushed to be the first one to meet Rob.
"I know that look on your face. What's the big news?"
"Ami's been in Mii's room for the last hour. And she didn't take the first-aid kit with her. I think you need to go interrupt whatever they're doing."
Rob passed the bag he was carrying to Ruiko. "Give these to Kazari; she'll know what to do with them."
A few minutes later, he knocked on Mii's door. "It's Rob. May I come in?"
"Please do," replied Mii.
"The three of us need to talk," Ami added.
To be continued...
November 5, 2016
1:41 pm
Kate thought for a moment. "From the description that Makoto provided, I think you were attacked by sluagh."
"And sluagh would be...?" asked Kuroko.
"The restless dead. Fae who were killed by the Host but didn't completely die. Please don't ask me how they do this."
"That's terrible," Usagi whispered.
"It's a terrible thing to have happen to you, definitely." Nobody said anything for a moment. Finally, Kate continued, "I'm surprised you could destroy them so quickly, Miss Moon."
Makoto nodded. "She's always been more powerful than the rest of us, but either I've gotten very weak or she's gotten very strong."
"You haven't gotten weak, Makoto. We fight every day; I know exactly know how strong you are."
"Thanks, M- Railgun. How did Moon destroy six of them at once?"
"Their power and luck comes from the Moon," Kate replied. "It's possible that they were overloaded so much that they just exploded."
Kuroko nodded. "That sounds reasonable. How do we defend against them?"
"If I knew that, I would have defended the tower against them earlier this year. By my time. If you don't let them enter, they can't come in, but they're very good at getting you to let them in."
Kazari walked in at that point. "We have a specialist coming up from Montreal," she replied. "She might be able to help. She knows a different kind of magic from what I've heard you describe."
2:08 pm
"She what?"
"That's what Mii told me. And Rob-oji kissed her!"
"While she had her-?"
"No, after that. Are you okay?"
"I... don't know." After a moment, she asked, "Do you know where Donaldson-san is right now?"
Ruiko noticed that Ami didn't call him 'Rob'. "I think he's gone to buy that computer gear he said he was going to buy today. He should be back before Rin-san arrives."
"Thank you. Do you know whether Konori-san is busy?"
"Mii-san said she'd appreciate some more company. Why don't you bring her a snack?" Ruiko reached into the fridge and pulled out a box of milk.
"Oh, I couldn't ..." Ami stopped when she realized Ruiko was glaring at her. Being glared at by an underclassman wasn't a pleasant experience. "All right."
"Good!" Ruiko smiled. "I'm sure the two of you will have a nice, long talk."
2:16 pm
"... and he was always ... so kind to me and I thought ... I thought maybe he thought of ... me as more than just a ... a child and ... and I was trying to ... get up the courage to ... to talk with him alone ... and you said what I wanted to say but you said it first!" Ami's tears overcame her completely.
Mii gave her a moment to cry. Then she reached for the box of tissues beside the sofa. "Please don't cry, Ami. Neither of us have said we love each other."
She looked up. "You ... you haven't?"
"Maybe we're stupid that way. Or maybe I just overwhelmed him with what I did tell him and he wasn't ready to say it to me. But I know I'm not ready to face rejection that way again. I guess I'm as afraid as you are, Ami."
"You're afraid? Of this?"
"I was rejected once before."
"Oh."
They sat in near-silence for a moment, Ami drying her eyes and Mii waiting patiently.
"I'm willing to share."
"What!?"
Mii smiled. "It was Washuu-chan's idea."
"Oh. I've heard stories about that household."
"That doesn't make it a bad idea, Ami. I've noticed how much he dotes on you. He might be interested in a threesome."
Ami couldn't reply - she was too busy gasping for air as her face went beet-red.
"Did I say too much?"
2:32 pm
"Most of the Host are only active at night," Kate said. "We should be all right as long as the sun is up."
"The nights are getting longer as we get closer to the solstice," Kuroko pointed out.
"Which is why you have to be extremely careful. Some missing-person reports are because the person that went missing was kidnapped by the Host."
"What happens to mortals who are kidnapped by the Host?"
"If they're lucky," Kate replied, "they go straight into the stewpot."
Kuroko's voice trembled. "And if they're unlucky?"
"They're played with first."
Usagi's eyes were like ice. "We must do something about this."
"I'm open to any ideas you might have."
2:39 pm
"I'm sorry, Ami. I shouldn't have dropped that idea on you so quickly."
"You're right! You shouldn't have! I'm still an innocent maiden!"
"Innocent? How many youma have you killed?"
"That isn't what I meant."
Mii smiled. "I know. We're still young, and they do things differently here than they do in Japan. There are laws about what they call 'sexual interference' - you could knock Rob out and have your way with him, and he'd be arrested because he's your foster father and you haven't reached your eighteenth birthday yet."
"That doesn't make sense."
"Oh, you'd be arrested, too."
"That makes more sense."
"Maybe I should have phrased it this way: I'm willing to share my life with just Rob, or with both of you. The three of us need to decide what our future is going to be."
"I'm not bisexual."
"You're sure? Most people are at least bi-curious."
"Well... maybe. But I don't have those feelings around females, and I do have them around males."
"I don't know whether I like women that way either. But I'm willing to find out."
"Washuu-chan said you need to rest!"
Mii smiled. "Not now, Ami. Later. After we've had a chance to talk with Rob."
Ami sighed in relief. "Oh. Okay. No, not okay!" She started to panic again.
"Ami, not all lesbians are like Kuroko."
That calmed her down. "Oh. Good."
"And if you aren't comfortable with the idea, then we won't explore it at all."
"Thank you, Mii."
2:50 pm
"You can see giants coming, if you can see into the faerie realm at all. They're easy to spot, since they're giants. They're also difficult to defeat, because they're giants."
"Unfortunately, Kate, I cannot see into the faerie realm, and neither can Railgun or Mr. Donaldson."
"We might have a way around that, Kuroko. Finn can add some stitching to your clothes to give you the ability to see into the faerie realm."
"That might not be a good idea. Has anyone explained the concept of Personal Reality to you yet?"
2:54 pm
"Did you ever ... you know?"
Mii shook her head. "There are only two men I've ever been interested in that way. The first was Kurozuma Wataru - he's the one who rejected me. We're still friends, but not that way."
"And the second?"
"The second is Rob-san. And I only told him that today."
2:59 pm
"Your 'personal reality' sounds to me like a trance state that you go into to work magic."
"There are some important differences between a trance and a Personal Reality, Kate. A trance would only let you do things that mundane science books say are possible. My Personal Reality is exactly that - my reality. I can teleport because my reality allows for teleportation. Onee-san is an electromaster because her reality allows her to create and use electricity at will. The other espers's realities here aren't nearly as fully formed as our two realities, so they aren't as powerful as we are."
"I'm sorry. Who is 'oneesan'?"
"Mi- Railgun. The important thing is that our realities don't have room for what you call magic. We can be affected by it because consensual reality is still a big part of our personal realities, but we can't use it ourselves. And espers are always in our personal realities."
"So every esper is a solipsist?"
"That is a crude but accurate description, yes."
3:07 pm
"I'm home!"
"Welcome back!" Ruiko rushed to be the first one to meet Rob.
"I know that look on your face. What's the big news?"
"Ami's been in Mii's room for the last hour. And she didn't take the first-aid kit with her. I think you need to go interrupt whatever they're doing."
Rob passed the bag he was carrying to Ruiko. "Give these to Kazari; she'll know what to do with them."
A few minutes later, he knocked on Mii's door. "It's Rob. May I come in?"
"Please do," replied Mii.
"The three of us need to talk," Ami added.
To be continued...
--
Rob Kelk
Sticks and stones can break your bones,
But words can break your heart.
- unknown
Rob Kelk
Sticks and stones can break your bones,
But words can break your heart.
- unknown